Program Description
This program is designed to introduce the cultural history of the Netherlands and Belgium to American students. Using the 17th century "Dutch Golden Age" as its starting point, the course traces important cultural developments in these countries up to the present. The interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum provides a clear picture of these two contrasting monarchies in the heart of Europe. The literature (documentary and fiction) concentrates on both the history and the contemporary (multi)cultural and liberal identity of the Low Countries. Students will engage with their subject matter as eyewitnesses through daily field trips to Amsterdam, The Hague, Delft, Rotterdam, Haarlem, Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Ghent and many other cities. Guided visits to the Dutch House of Representatives, the European Parliament in Brussels, and the Criminal Court in The Hague are also included. No language-teaching is involved.